1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a universal mobile phone adapter method and system for vehicles.
2. Background Art
It is desirable for mobile phone users to conduct telephone calls in their vehicles using hands-fee devices. Currently, mobile phone users have a few options for using hands-free devices in order to make telephone calls from their vehicles. One option is for the users to use vehicles having fully integrated cell phones such as provided by the OnStar® hands-free system. Another option is for the users to install mobile phone specific hands-free kits in their vehicles. Another option is for the users to use cigarette lighter adapter kits in their vehicles.
Each of these options have disadvantages. For example, the built-in cell phone system (i.e, the OnStar® hands-free system) precludes the use of the users' own mobile phone providers and mobile phones. As such, users are required to pay substantially higher rates for air time. Further, this built-in system cannot be removed from vehicles. Accordingly, the built-in cell phone is mobile only as long as a user is in a vehicle having the built-in system.
The mobile phone specific hands-free kits allow users to pick their own mobile phone providers and allow the users to remove their mobile phones from the vehicles. However, these kits are generally expensive to install in vehicles and mar the interior of the vehicles. Further, these kits only function with compatible mobile phones. For example, these kits only function with the mobile phones of a certain mobile phone provider. Furthermore, the hands-free capabilities of the mobile phones are only available in the vehicle in which the compatible mobile phone specific hands-free kit is installed.
The cigarette lighter adapter kits have the advantage of portability. However, the insertion and removal of a mobile phone is somewhat difficult and the quality of the reception and transmission can be quite poor due to the poor integration with the vehicle. Dialing capabilities are not provided and the microphones of the kits are, by necessity, in mounts which are frequently far from the users when the users are in the vehicles.
Thus, there exists a need for a universal mobile phone adapter system integrated into a vehicle in which the system allows a user to use any one of a plurality of mobile phones in a hands-free manner in the vehicle.